Simplified structural analysis of framed ordinary non-tempered glass panels during fire exposure

Abstract

Ordinary non-tempered glass is one of the most widely used materials in the construction industry. Knowing its fire resistance is essential to ensure the safety of emergency personnel as its failure increases the oxygen supply and causes a rapid spread of the fire (flashover phenomenon). Existing approaches for evaluating the structural fire safety of glass façades require expensive experimental tests and/or extensive knowledge of Finite Element modeling. This paper provides a simplified, rational, and reliable approach to assess the structural capacity of ordinary glass panels during fire exposure. A simplified method is developed to predict the temperature difference between the edge and the center of the glass panel. Afterward, a method, based on strain-equilibrium, is developed to predict the corresponding maximum thermal stress. The developed methods are validated by comparisons with experimental work by others.